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kapt59 · 07-03-2016, 10:43 PM

I was interested if all of you would care to comment on what your opinion is of the factories quality control on new rigs. Good, bad or otherwise?

It seems only after you have had you rig a short while you begin to notice items that don't seem right?

Or perhaps the opposite, it is truly perfect?

What has your experience been in your first 6 months or so? What have you noticed that you would say slipped by the QC process? Or perhaps you don't have any?

RareStream · 07-04-2016, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kapt59

I was interested if all of you would care to comment on what your opinion is of the factories quality control on new rigs. Good, bad or otherwise?

Bad.

Respectfully, I don't mean to be flippant...but please do a search; click on "Search," then "Advanced search" and type "quality" as a search term. Make sure you search "titles only." You will be amazed at what you find. You will be reading for days.

BTW...you will find numerous Airstream apologists who will decry any defects as due to the trailers being "handmade" and will give all SORTS of excuses as to why their $130,000 trailer is a rolling POS. Ignore those people...as usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle. But even then, the factory quality control is bad. Close to "non-existent" bad, and issues they've known about for YEARS (such as taillight and grab handle corrosion as well as major leaks) they simply REFUSE to do anything about as if they are thumbing their noses at prospective buyers because as it is, they CAN sell all they can build. So, there's absolutely NO incentive to improve quality control. NONE.

But, to reiterate...it's bad.

paiceman · 07-04-2016, 04:56 AM

Not good.

We had a 2010, 25' FC - bought used later that year, no issues. Then purchased a 2012 30' FC and again no issues. Long story but we now have a 2015 30' FC, odd issues which indicate not only questionable vendor sources but no real inspections at the factory.

The furnace has been a nightmare, we think after numerous trips to our then dealer and their diligent efforts it's now working ok.

The inspection or lack there of issues and I've forgotten some:

The entire kitchen sink area was not fastened to the trailer. After about 3,000 miles I was sitting watching TV and asked my wife "was there a counter overhang on the kitchen counter"; her answer was simply "not now". So, over time it, the counter and the base migrated away from the exterior wall. The counter was not fastened to the base and the base was not fastened to the trailer. I just kept pushing them back at each stop for the next 7,000 miles of our trip. (2) The A/C units worked last summer, did a good job, but sounded like the entire trailer was coming apart. There are wires and such up under the A/C covers, never tied down, so they rattled and hit the side all day and all night when it was hot enough to use them. (3) A/C with new duct-ed system did not cool the front, we did not have adjustable vent covers. We got some and that corrected the issue. Thank you factory for working with us and our dealer for fighting for us.

MOST issues that we had on our brand new unit were caught by our dealer in their prep before we took delivery, which is how it should work. The list they came up with concerning repairs was long and distinguished.

All this said, we had more issues with a very high end 38' Motor Home we had between 30" AS for about seven months.

Bud

**moosetags** · 07-04-2016, 05:29 AM

Most RV manufacturers do not exercise a high level of quality control on their products. Airstream is no exception.

We have had one used and two new Airstreams over the years. We used them all heavily (almost 1,800 camping nights in ten years). They all had issues that were the result of poor quality control.

You have to remember that Airstreams are pretty much hand built. Things are always going to slip through the cracks. That's just the way it is.

Even with the flaws, we still love our Airstream. In talking to campers all over the country, it's pretty much the same story with all of the RV manufacturers.

It boils down to your choices are, get an RV and have as much fun as you can, or not.

Brian

FCStreamer · 07-04-2016, 05:35 AM

This is like walking into a hospital and asking "anyone sick here?". The response you will get will be a little skewed.

xrvr · 07-04-2016, 05:37 AM

The search function is a useful tool.

Wayne&Sam · 07-04-2016, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avionstream

The search function is a useful tool.

Nope. Searching with google works ok, but the stock search here is pitiful. You know, since we're talking about quality control.

AWCHIEF · 07-04-2016, 06:25 AM

I think poor to horrible in the past but improving. At the International Airstream announced several new programs addressing the QA issues at the plant and at their dealerships. Some are already in play and others are being rolled out as construction, hiring of new employees and training continue. I spent some time closely going over several new 2017 models that were on display at the International. They all came from a dealership. Absolutely beautiful fit and finish. I saw none of the commonly discussed issues here. That certainly does not mean that all was perfect. Personally I would have no problem buying a new Airstream if cost was not a personal issue.

Wayne&Sam · 07-04-2016, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCStreamer

This is like walking into a hospital and asking "anyone sick here?". The response you will get will be a little skewed.

True. Any forum for anything will have more people with problems commenting than happy customers.

We've had two new units in the past 9 years, neither had any significant issue from the factory.

FollySteve · 07-04-2016, 06:49 AM

Same here. I guess we were lucky with our 2015 23D. Only problem that we had was a small leak in black water dump valve and broken plastic spacers in TV bracket arms. Since warranty service was a lot of hassle I just fixed both myself. Called Airstream and explained and they shipped the parts no charge.

Also a shout out to John's RV in Columbia SC. Great buying experience there. Not sure if the trailer came from the factory with no issues or if they did good prep but trailer has been great for two years and about 5,000 miles.

Steve

FCStreamer · 07-04-2016, 08:07 AM

No, not lucky. Just normal. Having issues is the exception, not the norm. It seems normal here because this is a forum where people with issues congregate. What is posted here has no bearing on Airstream's overall quality control.

I submit to you there are far more owners of Airstreams that DONT post here than those that do. And they are probably enjoying their trouble free trailers...

RareStream · 07-04-2016, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCStreamer

No, not lucky. Just normal. Having issues is the exception, not the norm. What is posted here has no bearing on Airstream's overall quality control.

I submit to you there are far more owners of Airstreams that DONT post here than those that do. And they are probably enjoying their trouble free trailers...

GettinAway · 07-04-2016, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCStreamer

No, not lucky. Just normal. Having issues is the exception, not the norm. It seems normal here because this is a forum where people with issues congregate. What is posted here has no bearing on Airstream's overall quality control.

I submit to you there are far more owners of Airstreams that DONT post here than those that do. And they are probably enjoying their trouble free trailers...

I agree. We had a few small issues we spotted when we went to pick it up. They were corrected by the dealer, and four years later, we are still happy. We are not full timers though. Possibly if we camped more often, I would have found a few other issues. I swapped out the power inverter, and I may go to a quieter water pump, but other than that. Pretty much trouble free. (Now I'm in big trouble.. Totally jinxed myself.)

lsbrodsky · 07-04-2016, 09:02 AM

Whether or not you actually have any problems, when you get into maintenance of your trailer you will likely be disgusted with observations of cheap parts, poor construction, and lack of maintainability. While this may be a characteristic of all RV's, it was not my expectation coming from cruising sailboats. Yes, I get to go camping and I do enjoy that, but I also know that I will have repair problems in the future that could have been avoided with a different concept of construction.
Larry

bigmikeeb · 07-04-2016, 09:59 AM

We had a 2013 27' Flying Cloud that we dearly loved. No major problems with it at all. Not even very many minor problems. I think the Dealer did a pretty thorough job prepping it before we took possession.

We traded up to a 2015 30' Flying Cloud Bunk model and it was a slightly different story.
While the only major problem was the water pump going out, it seems sometimes like a never ending litany of small problems. Loose hinges, weak drawer closures, electrical issues, etc. Nothing to dampen our love of our AS, only slight irritations.

kb0zke · 07-04-2016, 10:17 AM

"Quality control" or "quality assurance" or whatever you want to call it has been a problem in the RV industry for many years. Part of the problem is a lack of competition. Part of the problem is that those who buy new coaches don't really do their due diligence when it comes to buying. Part of the problem is the dealer system.

Lack of competition? How many travel trailers are NOT made by Thor or Forest River? Not many. Thor owns Airstream and just recently bought Jayco. Trying to decide between an Airstream and an Open Range? Thor doesn't care which one you pick because they own both brands.

Due diligence? How many Airstream owners bought their coaches solely on the basis of stories of Airstream's high quality 30 years ago? I don't know if the quality of the coaches coming off the line today (well, tomorrow) is as good as it was 30 years ago. I suspect that today's coaches are rushed through a little bit faster than they were back then and that is likely to result in somewhat lower quality. Airstream is, by all accounts, selling everything they can build, and I don't hear about many of those being returned. Most brands are selling for 65-75% of MSRP, while Airstreams are selling for more like 85-90% of MSRP. If the others are making a profit then it seems that Airstream is making plenty. I don't know if that extra profit is at the dealer or factory level, and it really doesn't matter. Whoever is making that extra money should be making sure that the coach is perfect BEFORE it leaves their custody.

Dealer system? How many dealerships are only one brand? Dealers don't want to fix the factory's errors. If they see too many expensive problems with one brand they simply steer their customers to another brand. If a dealer makes enough on an Airstream sale he may be willing to spend some of that on fixing things, but he would rather wait until the customer files a warranty claim and then have the factory pay for it.

I'm still wanting to buy a used Airstream, but I also understand that I'm buying a used coach that will have some problems. It is my job, as a buyer, to make sure that the coach I buy is as good as it can be, and anything I find wrong is mine to fix. Should I happen to inherit a huge sum (not going to happen) and I would decide to buy a new Airstream I would expect that someone would go over the coach and fix anything wrong before I take possession of the coach.

J. Morgan · 07-04-2016, 10:41 AM

I built my own trailer from the bare shell, and I have some quality control issues as some here would describe them.

Some of my "blemishes" I account to character, others I fix in their due time. There are always compromises, and there are always times when I say "why didn't I do that differently". (Every night I look at a vent cover I got a little crooked, it bugs me, but not so much that I have fixed it yet

)

The short answer is there will always be QC issues with any product. Some buyers will get more than their share, and some less all to differing degrees.

There is some consideration that a buyer should expect more quality from a product that commands a premium price tag, but a lot of this premium goes into the production of a trailer skin that is much more expensive to make, and a lot more durable than more traditional boxes that will have about a ten year practical lifespan.

Would I pay $130,000 for a camp trailer? Lol, no way. But if I were too do so I would prepare myself to take the good with the bad, and I would understand that the more complex the beast, the more issues that there will be.

Superat stultitia.

Plasma800 · 07-04-2016, 10:46 AM

I've had no problems. Only thing we've done is adjust the door.

TG Twinkie · 07-04-2016, 11:01 AM

As far as I know all travel trailers are hand made. There are no robots or automated equipment in the factories.
They are all assembled by men and women, one screw, staple or rivet at a time.
I chose to spend less money to have the same "issues".
We own a '74 Argosy 26'. I have put a lot of work and money into this rig. When I read here that people with units no older than 5 years are having the same problems as I found on my 42 year old coach I wonder what has changed at A$. Not much!
They still have problems with water entering on the rear above the storage compartment ahead of the bumper. They still have problems with water in the belly pan causing the frames to rot away and holding tanks falling out. Have they not heard of drains and ventilation?
For the price of an A$ I could buy a new SOB every 5 years and be ahead of the game because most new units come with at least a 1 year warranty.
But I have always been one to drive a Toyota and not a Lexus.

dkottum · 07-04-2016, 11:58 AM

We've had two new Airstreams, both excellent. Our 2012 was delivered with no defects fresh from the factory, assembled beautifully, and has had nothing come loose, no failure of original equipment and no corrosion anywhere in nearly five years of extensive travel, over 1,000 nights camping.

We tow it with a softly sprung 1/2 ton truck, connected with flexible w.d. bars, do not carry excessive loads, and inspect, maintain, and treat it with corrosion preventive products on a routine schedule.